Big maps, secret treasure, serious exploring and a whole lot of joy.
Introduction
Travelling doesn’t always mean going far. Sometimes it’s a backyard map, a pocket full of river stones, a ticket you kept. Sometimes it’s that old feeling of staining paper with tea and burning the edges to make a treasure map and knowing, completely, that the X was real.
Wild Adventures is our celebration of that instinct to explore. It’s about place and movement and memory. Nothing here needs to be accurate. We’re not chasing correct borders or true north. We’re giving kids the materials and the space to say I was here.
From Smudge to You
Below you'll find the collection of creative activities we've used to bring this theme to life at Smudge. Each one is an invitation to play, experiment, and see where the materials take you. Pick and choose what excites you and adapt them to your own space.
A taste of what's inside
sensory-playAll ages
Stones and scoops and hidden treasure
Gather these before you start.
7 more inside this theme
Experience 2
sculpture
Make it, wear it, start exploring!
Experience 3
painting-drawing
Build your own road map of where you’ve been (or want to go next)!
Experience 4
painting-drawing
Pull colour across a rocky horizon
Experience 5
installations
Tip a base layer into a low tub or tray. River pebbles from the garden centre or hardware store work beautifully. They are usually sold cheaply for paving and drainage and they have that cool smooth weight in the hand. Just the best! You can add a second base like white rice or yellow split peas or black beans if you want contrast under the stones. The sounds are glorious and matter here as much as the look.
Drop in a wooden treasure box. Scatter a few jewels, old keys, crystals, coins, magnetic chips with a wand, anything that reads treasure. Add scoops, small containers, funnels, ladles. The more it feels like real adventure gear, the deeper they go!
For toddlers or any group where mouthing is likely, swap tiny loose parts for safer larger pieces. Dried citrus slices, large shells, big wooden discs. You still get the ritual of finding and collecting without the choke risk.
As always with sensory play, stand back and watch the first choice they make. Do they go straight for the scoop and listen to the pour? Do they hunt for the most shiny object? Do they start arranging stones into lines like roads or river edges? That first instinct tells you what to lean into. If they choose sound, talk about sound. If they choose collecting, talk about what belongs in the treasure box today and why.
This is a great one to have a display tray nearby, like a shallow board or lid where found objects can be placed and admired! The adventure lab might shift from 'grab and dump' to 'curate and explain', so language, turn taking and memory work can start to build naturally.
Add a mirror or metallic tray under part of the base so everything reflects and shimmers
Use natural finds like pinecones, bark, seed pods for an outdoor campsite version
Wrap, weave, and build a place to sit together
Experience 6
installations
Claim the islands, mark the X, build the world together
Experience 7
collage
Cut and stick the story of your own journey
Experience 8
collage
Create your own pirate chest and fill it with all the treasures!